WHAT TO EXPECT FROM GAUTENG e-GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENT FOR THE 2023/24 FINANCIAL YEAR

Nie Cele

Gauteng Premier and Number one citizen Panyaza Lesufi is on record in more than dozen times in his speeches talking about zero tolerance to any immoral acts or nefarious acts that arises from the precipitating and predisposing factors (Crime).

Most recently he introduced thousands of crime busting wardens tailor-made to reduce spiraling crime in the province and enhancing public safety but also reduce youth unemployment.

One news website has quoted him arguing that

“In order to accelerate Gauteng’s economic recovery and reconstruction there is a need to declare crime, corruption, lawlessness and vandalism as the enemy that must be mercilessly defeated.”

In his state of the Province address he openly admitted “Our province is a home of heartless and merciless criminals. They do as they wish.”

He also spoke at length about technological interventions to be rolled out in fighting the scourge of crime.

Against this backdrop and to be on parallel with the Premier’s future plans, one of the fast growing department in Gauteng, e Government  tasked with the key mandate of rolling out of a network infrastructure that will connect government facilities including schools recently presented the department’s well calculated comprehensive strategic plans and priorities to roll out amongst other things pronouncements by the Premier for the 2023/24 financial year to the media at-large.

Headed by MEC Mzi Khumalo who concurrently runs CoGTA department told the media their budget will make sure they focus on acquiring technological devices to fight and curtail crime.

READ BELOW THE UNFILTERED STATEMENT PRESENTED TO THE MEDIA BY MEC MZI KHUMALO

Gauteng Department of e-Government’s budget to focus on acquiring technological devices to fight crime.

The Gauteng Department of e-Government will assist in establishing an effective e-Policing strategy for the Gauteng province.

This is through the provision of technological devices to fight crime.

 For this to be possible, the department has been allocated of just over R 1.7 billion.

The mandate of the Gauteng Department of e-Government (e-Gov) has been reprioritized to assist the fight against crime using technology and transforming services in the province into cashless and paperless.

The department will be implementing the following programmes:

 Deploying of CCTV surveillance across every major road, business centres and hotspot areas with potential crime in the province whilst prioritizing the TISH areas.

 High-Quality Drones for officials to operate and link information to law enforcement.

 Technology for tracking of every registered Strategic Asset of the state, which includes amongst other, vehicles and firearms to reduce crime.

 The development of a payment engine for cashless transactions for all GPG departments and entities.

We have started installing the first lot of CCTV camera’s in Diepsloot, this is part of the sites that is a crime hotspot. About, 150 CCTV cameras will be erected in crime hotspots around theprovince.

CCTV cameras will assist in crime prevention and detection. They will be strategically placed in crime hotspot.

 These CCTV cameras will be linked to dash boards in all

police stations in Gauteng. The facial recognition will assist in identifying perpetrators should the police not respond in time.

A pilot project for the online e-Panic Button for the Gauteng Province employees (nurses and teachers) who have been identified as some of the most vulnerable citizens and therefore more susceptible to crime is underway.

For the purpose of this exercise, 8000 employees have been

targeted.

The e-Panic Button provides anyone in distress with access to law enforcement and emergency health services at the touch of a button.

The e-Panic Button application is currently available for download from Android and IOS App stores.

The Gauteng Broadband Network (GBN) is amongst our flagship programmes that has provided connectivity to government institutions in Gauteng.

A total of 300 sites will be provided with Wide Area Network (WAN); and continue the reduction of telephone costs for GPG departments and entities.

The Department will enable 200 Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) sites on the network. In addition, to ensure end-to-end connectivity, the Department will rollout Local AreaNetwork (LAN) connectivity to 250 sites whilst 100 Wi-fi hotspots will be provided in identified areas to provide wireless high-speed internet access.